The Collegiate Church (Stiftskirche) towers over the town of Herrenberg, dominating the cityscape. It was built in two main phases of construction (1276-1293 and 1471-1493) and was the first Gothic hall church to be completed in Württemberg. In 1749 the two Gothic towers were demolished and replaced by the Baroque onion dome.
Among the church's outstanding features are the baptismal font from 1472, the stone pulpit from 1504 by Master Hanselmann and the choirstalls from the year 1517 with carvings by Heinrich Schickhardt, the grandfather of the famous architect. The high altar dating from 1519, with paintings by Jerg Ratgeb, is now to be found in the State Gallery in Stuttgart. The Stiftskirche is home to the Herrenberg Bell Museum – and it also boasts the oldest rose window in Swabia.
References:Linderhof is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria and the only one which he lived to see completed.
Ludwig II, who was crowned king in 1864, began his building activities in 1867-1868 by redesigning his rooms in the Munich Residenz and laying the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle. In 1868 he was already making his first plans for Linderhof. However, neither the palace modelled on Versailles that was to be sited on the floor of the valley nor the large Byzantine palace envisaged by Ludwig II were ever built.
Instead, the new building developed around the forester's house belonging to his father Maximilian II, which was located in the open space in front of the present palace and was used by the king when crown prince on hunting expeditions with his father.